Watch for bagworms on Junipers in early May

MRT

Published 6:02 am, Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Dear Neil: Can I apply any type of product to prevent bagworms from hitting our junipers? They've been a terrible problem several times over the years.

Answer: There really is no preventive product. Bagworms develop as the adult moths lay their eggs. Those moths are quite mobile, and they'll fly in from nearby neighborhoods. Your best bet is to start watching your junipers every day or two in early to mid-May. Sometime between then and early June, if the bagworms are going to be an issue for you, they will appear. You'll see miniature forms that look just like the fully developed larvae, except these will be a fraction of the size of the older bags and larvae. At the point that the pests are just getting started feeding, you can apply almost any insecticide to eliminate them. Your local nursery can show you several options.

Dear Neil: We have a sloping area between our property and the neighbor's driveway, and I'd like to put some type of privacy screen in that would block the view to 8 to 10 feet high and no more than 4 feet wide. I'd prefer not to use the traditional hedge plants, and I don't want any thorns. I'd like to be able to plant small ornamental grasses on the inside of the planting area. Any suggestions? Also, will I need to remove the big root systems of three old shrubs that I'll be removing from the area?

Answer: There aren't a lot of plants that get that tall, yet stay that narrow. Oakland and Oakleaf hollies (I can't see much difference in the two.) would be great choices. They have pointed leaf margins, but they're certainly not going to hurt anyone. I have used them for similar purposes several times, and I've always been satisfied with the outcomes. False Japanese yews will work well where winter temperatures don't cause issues. Talk to your nurseryman. You could also consider a wrought iron fence covered with a climbing rose such as Climbing Pinkie, Lady Banksia or other durable type. It might be nice to use a section of fencing for part of the area and the tall shrubs to flank it. As for the ornamental grass, I might caution against it. That isn't a lot of room, and the grass might cause shading problems with the lowest branches of the shrubs. It would seem to me that a low, spreading groundcover might be a better choice. Get the old plants' roots out of the way before you work up the new bed. Otherwise, you'll be compromising the help you can give the new plants.

Dear Neil: What are the best repeating daffodil varieties for Texas? Every year I get excited about them. I've grown paperwhites, but their leaves and flowers get burned by the late-winter cold.

Answer: There are several great choices, including Ice Follies, Carlton, Cheerfulness, Golden Cheerfulness, Geranium, Grand Primo and others. Buy from a full-time bulb supplier or retail nursery that specializes in daffodils, particularly naturalizing types. Bags of bulbs from national chains generally will not establish and repeat as well. King Alfred, Unsurpassable, Mount Hood and other really large types do not bloom well in successive years.

Dear Neil: Someone told me I could kill out bur clover by applying ammonium nitrate to it. Does that work? Is that a good practice?

Answer: I remember doing that as a teenaged gardener, and it did do some good. But now, as a more seasoned veteran, I know it's not good for the lawn, especially when you apply that kind of fertilizer before the grass is growing actively enough to utilize it. My father was a herbicide research scientist at Texas A&M, and about the time I was getting into gardening, 2,4-D came into the market. It worked wonderfully then, and it still does. You simply spray the bur clover several days after you mow it. Use a comparatively fine spray pattern, so the liquid doesn't bead up and roll off the leaves. In fact, you can add one drop of a liquid dishwashing detergent to the spray tank to help it stick to the waxy clover leaves. Be patient. It takes a couple of weeks before you'll see results. I prefer to buy a type that contains only 2,4-D and no other herbicide. However, if you spot-treat precisely with the combination products, you should have no trouble with it affecting your trees.

Dear Neil: When should I prune my flowering quince? I believe I heard it should be after it blooms?

Answer: That's correct. All spring-flowering shrubs and vines bloom on growth they made the prior year, so the time to trim them would be immediately after they finish blooming. However, prune flowering quince carefully. It doesn't respond well to shearing. You can remove one branch at a time, to eliminate those that are damaged or that rub against another branch, and you could selectively reduce your plant's height a bit, but avoid heavy pruning, especially into an unnatural square or round shape.